The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has set December 2026 as the target for concluding negotiations on doctors’ 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), with fresh talks involving the national and county governments scheduled to begin.

KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah announced on Monday, October 26, that the union had resolved to pursue structured negotiations to secure better working conditions and protect the welfare of doctors employed in the public health sector.

The decision followed a joint National Advisory Council and National Executive Council meeting held on October 16, during which the union’s leadership agreed to advance negotiations at both levels of government.

Atellah said the union was approaching the process with renewed determination, drawing lessons from the challenges experienced during the 2017–2021 CBA cycle.

The new agreement is expected to provide a framework for negotiating doctors’ employment terms for the five-year period, including remuneration and other conditions of service.

Ministry of Health prepares for negotiations

Atellah said the Ministry of Health had submitted its counter-proposal to the comprehensive CBA proposal presented by the union, marking progress towards formal negotiations.

Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni Muriuki has also constituted an Inter-Ministerial CBA Negotiation Committee to guide the discussions.

The committee invited KMPDU representatives to an inaugural meeting scheduled for Monday, October 26, and Tuesday, October 27, at Mombasa Beach Hotel.

The union’s National Advisory Council has authorised its negotiating team to handle discussions covering doctors employed by both the national and county governments.

This arrangement places the union in a position to pursue employment terms across the two levels of government through coordinated negotiations, although the final terms will depend on the outcome of the discussions.

“We are stepping into these negotiation rooms organised, legally anchored, and unified across both national and county levels,” Atellah said.

The December deadline places pressure on the parties to move from preliminary engagements to an agreed framework within the remaining weeks of 2026.

However, the start of negotiations does not mean the agreement has been concluded. Its completion will depend on the proposals presented, the responses from government representatives and the parties’ ability to reach an agreement on the outstanding issues.

KMPDU seeks centralised talks with 47 counties

The union has also secured progress towards centralised negotiations covering all 47 county governments.

According to Atellah, the Council of Governors (CoG) and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) have granted KMPDU’s request to negotiate county-level CBAs through a centralised process.

The union has nominated a team of 12 leaders, led by senior National Executive Council officials, to represent doctors in the negotiations.

The county-level meetings are scheduled for October 29 and 30, 2026.

Centralised negotiations would provide a common platform for discussions on doctors’ employment terms across the counties instead of requiring the union to negotiate separately with each county government.

The approach could also make it easier to identify common concerns affecting doctors in different counties and pursue consistent employment terms.

However, implementation will remain an important consideration, given that county governments are responsible for managing their respective health services and employing doctors within their jurisdictions.

The talks come amid continued concerns over salary adjustments, outstanding arrears and the implementation of previously negotiated employment agreements.

Union renews pressure over outstanding agreements

The latest negotiations follow a renewed push by KMPDU to have pending CBAs concluded and signed.

On Saturday, October 24, Atellah said the union had engaged Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital Chief Executive Officer Dr Zeinab Gura, SRC officials and leaders of the union’s Nairobi Chapter to accelerate progress on outstanding agreements.

“Staff welfare is not a privilege; it is a fundamental part of delivering quality healthcare,” he said.

The union has repeatedly maintained that fair remuneration, timely payment of salary arrears and adherence to negotiated employment terms are necessary to protect doctors’ welfare.

Earlier disputes over implementation of CBAs have also placed pressure on relations between doctors and government employers, with disagreements over pay and working conditions contributing to the threat of industrial action.

The latest round of negotiations will therefore test whether the national government, county governments and the union can agree on new employment terms within the proposed timeline.

For doctors, the immediate focus will be on the substance of the agreement and whether the negotiated terms are implemented once the process is completed.

KMPDU has urged members to remain united behind its negotiating teams as it pursues the 2025–2029 agreement and seeks to address outstanding concerns affecting medical professionals.